Cheaper car batteries on the lines of space vehicles in the offing

City-based the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has joined hands with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to develop battery for passenger cars employing the same technology used in space vehicles.TNN | January 05, 2016, 07:37 IST

“ARAI will develop and test batteries for use in electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) before offering the technology to manufacturers for mass production,“ Rashmi Urdhwareshe, ARAI director said while addressing the media on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of the research organization.

Urdhwareshe said, “The focus of the research will be to develop technology in EV HEV applications for Indian automotive industry and facilitate pro motion of green mobility plat form. This will also promote import substitution and the government's mission of Make in India.“

VSSC has successfully con ducted laboratory level testing to find that the technology used in making batteries for space applications is suitable for auto mobile sector applications, she said, adding that ARAI will work towards testing of the technology at vehicle level and will come out with a prototype in about one year's time.

“In addition to developing the battery, ARAI will also develop battery management system and thermal management system for the battery to make it safe for the vehicles and passengers,“ Urdhwareshe said.

K Sivan, director of VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram, said the intention here is to bring down the cost of the battery to less than a tenth of what an imported one costs.

ARAI also plans to set up an automotive industry museum which will display the journey of India's automobile industry over the years. “The blueprint for the project is ready and we are in discussions with various stakeholders to finalize the plan,“ Urdhwareshe said, adding that ARAI is also preparing to undertake a data collection project for on-road measurement of pollution from diesel vehicles and old vehicles.